The result is an awkward amalgamation that doesn't do justice to any of the hybrid platform's component parts. For someone familiar with all three inspirations, the Nokia X OS mashup is an ill-fitting mix at best and an unholy union at worst.
I'm one for full disclosure here: this rundown represents my first impressions after a very short period with the Nokia X phone, but I'll update this after spending more hands-on time with the device here at MWC -- so my views are subject to change.
Start screen
First things first. The Nokia X OS does give you a Glance screen that beams out information from the lock screen, like the time and message alerts.
When you unlock the device, you're greeted by a start screen that looks like a Bizarro version of Windows Phone OS. To put it bluntly, the cheap knock-off visuals could use some work. Just because Nokia X phones are purposely low cost, it doesn't mean that the OS should have to look low-rent, too.
Blocks of tiles run together on the interface (though it looks like the Phone, People, and Messaging icons are static.) Even if you manually drag tiles down to create a gutter between rows, the effect is messy overall. It doesn't appear that you can separate the fused columns. On the plus side, some tiles are dynamic a la Windows Phone -- like the calendar, for instance -- and you can reorder them with a drag and a drop.
You can resize tiles, too, much the way that you would in Windows Phone, by pressing and holding the tile and selecting the larger or smaller of two sizes. You're also able to add widgets to your home screen, and create folders that looks just like tiles, a trick that Nokia pushed out in its "Black" update.
Unlike Windows Phone OS, there is no complete list of your installed apps that's separate from what you have pinned to the Start screen. With Nokia X, your tiled home screen is your app tray. This isn't a bad way to do it, but it does mean it could take longer to locate an app if you have a long list. Never fear, there's a file manager as well, which is another way to find and interact with apps.
Newsfeed
The second home screen on Nokia X Software Platform is more or less your newsfeed. It compiles recent app activity, calendar appointments, social messages, texts, e-mail, and all the rest.
If you know Asha, then you know this as the Fastlane. With all your feeds turned on, the Fastlane can get overwhelming in a hurry; luckily, you're able to toggles these feeds in the Settings. Fastlane icons look more like the Android thumbnails you're used to, and the idea is to give you one-click access to your favorite apps, which you can open or interact with from there. can go into Fastlane settings to customize which apps feed it
I like newsfeeds in general. HTC has one in Blinkfeed for its custom Android OS, and Samsung just implemented a swipe-up version with My Magazine in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. If streams like this aren't for you, it's easy enough to ignore or effectively disable.
Quick access and notifications
Swiping down from the top of the screen to access the phone's command center is a pretty accepted Android paradigm. With Nokia X OS, too, swiping from the top lets you get at Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles, as well as your sound profile.
In addition to the newsfeed, you'll see select activity notifications in this space as well.
Hidden Android at the core
Tucked away beneath the Nokia X interface is the throbbing heart of Google's Android source code. To be specific, Nokia uses AOSP, or Android Open Source Project, which allows coders to use the files any way they please.
Opting for AOSP solves one problem for Nokia: giving people a way to play Android apps on Nokia phones (a concession, perhaps, to customer demand) while also loading up on Nokia and Microsoft apps and services.
So why not go whole hog with Android? As a Microsoft partner and soon Microsoft-owned spinoff, there is no way that Nokia's Mobile Devices team could have made an all-out Android phone filled with Google's trademark apps. As Microsoft is on the brink of taking over Nokia's hardware efforts, putting time and money into building up a recognizable Google experience doesn't make a lot of business sense.
As a result, Nokia X OS doesn't incorporate Google Now, Google Maps and navigation, Google Play services, or all the rest. Nokia won't stop you from downloading individual apps to support these features. In fact, any trick you can pull with Android, you should be able to do with Nokia X OS, albeit with the right files and codes. (More on this in the Apps section below.)
One thing to note is that the chipset in the Nokia X phone limits its Android version to AOSP 4.1, the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean equivalent, but if Microsoft continues to make Nokia X OS phones, that base Android version could also change.
Apps and services
Here's what you get as you look through the home screen where your app icons live: social networking titles like Facebook and Twitter, Nokia Here Maps, Nokia Mix Radio, Skype, Microsoft OneDrive for cloud storage, and Microsoft Outlook. There are all the essentials, too, like an alarm clock, file manager, and music player.
Your main destination for apps outside of the preloads is the Nokia store, which the company positions as a curated experience with apps that Nokia vets for quality and screens for malware.
In addition, apps in the Nokia store will integrate in-app purchases and carrier billing provisions for over 60 markets, both services that Nokia says are important for the customers it has in mind, typically people in growth markets who won't be post-paid subscribers or regular credit card users.
Nokia is a firm believer in letting you expand your appfolio beyond its own store offerings, just not in making Google Play store its main hub. Instead, geographically local app stores stand in, like 1Mobile in China and Yandex in Russia. Since this Android ultimately governs your Nokia X device, you'll be able to side load APKs as well.
Now, Nokia makes the Android app proposition sound so simple, but there is a catch for developers who want to shop their apps in Nokia's store, and this could affect app-lovers in turn. Nokia uses slightly different APIs for enabling carrier billing, in-app purchases, and notifications; developers will have to add some lines of code to their existing Android apps.
It doesn't sound like all too much trouble, but this whole situation with apps in multiple stores and developers that need to do a even a smidgen of work to port over apps raises a lot of questions about what the app response will be for developers and what kind of problem Nokia X OS really solves. If a major selling point of using Android is to make those apps easy to find and use, Nokia may have shot itself in the toe.
High hurdles ahead
My short time with Nokia X Software Platform bubbled up a lot of questions about day-to-day usability. How easy will it really be to find and install the apps I want, and how well will they really run?
Will customizing the Windows Phone Lite home screen be a huge time suck and turn off in the setup process, and will it gain enough additional functionality -- like voice dictation -- to even compete with low-cost Android and Windows phones? I'm also still trying to figure out if there's a reason, other than the app story, that motivated Nokia to slide down this rabbit hole.
When I think like an industry insider, which is the job I'm tasked to do, I tsk at the Nokia X OS's crisis of identity in trying to place a foot in three very different camps. On the other hand, if Nokia positions X Software Platform phones as inexpensive, beefed-up Asha phones that run your favorite apps, it stands a better chance at avoiding confusion.
Right now, the Nokia X phone is the only one to run this new platform mashup, but Nokia plans on a whole family of devices in the years to come. By then, the company may work out some kinks.
Yet there is a cautionary tale of another hybrid OS that leaps to mind, the platform running the short-lived Microsoft Kin One and Kin Two phones. These devices were a spectacular failure, aka costly social experiment, that were shelved entirely because the stunted software tried too hard to do too little.
Nokia, and its partner-parent Microsoft, should take note of history and bend over backward not to repeat it.
The Good The Samsung AllShare Cast Hub pushes phone media to HDTVs without wires. The device also mirrors what’s displayed on phone screens for HDTV viewing.
The Bad Setting up the Samsung AllShare Cast Hub isn’t intuitive. The device only supports a few recent Samsung devices.
The Bottom Line The Samsung AllShare Cast Hub is worthwhile only for select Samsung mobile device owners absolutely dying to view mobile content on their HDTVs.
Apple's AirPlay feature has bridged the living room/mobile handset divide for a while now, but Android smartphones have become extremely capable multimedia devices in their own right too. Equipped with high-resolution cameras, advanced audio and video players plus plenty of memory for storage, they now tackle the same multimedia tricks as the vaunted iPhone. Factor in how modern Android phones connect to myriad online entertainment services, and it’s easy to see the appeal of a product like the $99.99 Samsung AllShare Cast Hub. The AllShare is built to push audio and video content from Samsung’s latest handsets, including the Galaxy S III, to HDTVs without wires. While the accessory isn’t cheap, and initial setup tricky, the AllShare Cast Hub gets the job done.
Design
A rather nondescript black box, the small Samsung AllShare Cast Hub sports smoothly curved edges with no visible markings or controls. Weighing a mere 1.6 ounces, the AllShare’s light weight could conceivably qualify it as a mobile product. A full-size HDMI port and connection to an AC power adapter around the back of the device though say otherwise. Also placed on back of the AllShare Cast is a tiny reset button and is the device’s only physical control.
On back is a lone HDMI port, power connecter, and reset button.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Features and performance
Essentially the AllShare Cast Hub is a very simple accessory made to accomplish one primary task. Using Wi-Fi direct technology, it mirrors what is displayed on the Samsung handset’s screen to a compatible HDTV. The AllShare also does this in real time and without stringing wires between phone and display. Keep in mind that the product is only compatible with Samsung’s Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note 2, and Galaxy Note 10.1 devices.
Physically setting up the AllShare was a snap. First I connected the supplied AC adapter and HDMI cable to the back of the Hub. Next I plugged the Hub’s power source to an AC outlet and then attached its HDMI cable to a free port on my test TV, the 55-inch Philips PFL5907.
The Motorola Moto E has truly shaken the entry-level segment and local vendors like Micromax have been trying their best to compete against the brand. A few days back Micromax announced the Unite 2 to compete against the Moto E. The Unite 2 comes with specifications higher or similar to that of the Moto E at exactly the same price point of Rs 6,999. We compare the two phones on the basis of their specifications and features.
Display
The Unite 2 sports a 4.7-inch Bright Graph IPS display with 800×480 pixels resolution, while the Moto E comes with a 4.3-inch qHD (960×540 pixels) display. While smaller in size, it offers better display resolution. Also, a smaller display with higher resolution offers better clarity and higher pixel per inch density. Apart from that, the Moto E’s display also has Gorilla Glass 3 protection unlike the Unite 2.
Hardware
In terms of processors, the Unite 2 is powered by a quad-core chipset —1.3GHz Mediatek 6582M quad-core chipset, while the Moto E is powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 Cortex-A7 dual-core processor. Both the phones come with 1GB of RAM.
Memory
Both the smartphones include 4GB of internal storage that can be further expanded to up to 32GB using a microSD card, which calls for a tie. This is also happens to be the first time Motorola is offering expandable memory support via a microSD slot on the Moto E.
Camera
Both the Unite 2 and the Moto E sport 5-megapixel primary cameras, however the Unite 2 has the added advantage of a LED flash and auto-focus. Moreover, the Unite 2 also has a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, which will entice the selfie enthusiasts, something the Moto E lacks. Clearly the Unite 2 wins in this round.
Software
Though Motorola’s Moto E was the first smartphone of offer Android 4.4.2 KitKat at this price point, Micromax too ensured that the Unite 2 does not lack in this segment. Both the phones run on the latest Android software version, and in addition to that just like Motorola, Micromax too is guaranteeing at least one Android update for the Unite 2.
Extras
Micromax Unite 2 and Moto E compete very closely in most departments, however, when it comes to extras, Moto E clearly takes the award away from Micromax. Some of the additional features on the Moto E include a nano coating that protects it against the accidental splash of water, the Moto Alert feature which automatically alerts preset contacts when a user leaves a particular location, Instant SMS with their location for emergency situations, and an Emergency mode, which sends a call to a preset contact or sound an alarm. Also, it comes with intelligent calling to record usage pattern and on the basis of that, automatically selects the SIM based on the contact a user is calling.
Price
Micromax has launched the Unite 2 at exactly the same price at which Moto E was launched. Both the phone are priced at Rs 6,999.
Conclusion
With the Unite 2, Micromax has tried its best to entice the Moto E’s customers by offering a better set of specifications on paper. While Micromax wins in some departments, the Moto E still stands tall on the back of features like water resistance and software add-ons.
Samsung's Galaxy Round: Big on ergonomics, small on gimmick
The Galaxy Round currently sells in Korea in dark brown, with flashier colors (and perhaps in more markets) coming later down the line. In the US, you can get it through retailer Negri Electronics, for a wallet-busting $1,130.
Curved form is more than a gimmick
The Round's most eye-catching and unique feature is undoubtedly its curved display, that eyeful of a smile that's unmistakably laughing at you for ever doubting it in the first place. Let me point out that this screen, while indeed shaped, is immobile. The flexible portion is the AMOLED technology beneath the glass. Other than that, the phone's shape is fixed.
The bow is definitely noticeable at first sight, especially when you're looking near the Samsung logo. Unlike its rival, the LG G Flex, the Round bends lengthwise in a vertical arch that brings the sides slightly higher than the middle.
The Round's curve is gentler than you'd expect, and the phone's back does lie flat on surfaces, though it will wobble -- intentionally -- when you flick down a flared edge. Side-by-side with a Galaxy Note 3 (or any other phone, really,) it's apparent that the screen dishes out, and so does the faux-leather clad back. It's when you handle it that the ergonomics really stand out: a round back that conforms to your palm, and a phone face that hugs your cheek and ear.
The Round's concavity is especially apparent when viewed from the top.
You'll notice the arched face's anatomical advantages, too, as you slide it into your front or back pocket -- it pretty much fits in one way. The variety of CNET editors with whom I shared the phone agreed that it's bit more comfortable to carry, and sit on, in jeans than a phone with straight sides.
Also ergonomically important are the shape of the phone's edges. The top and bottom are thicker than on the Note 3, which gives you a sturdier platform for holding the phone, particularly one-handed. All four spines slope ever so slightly toward the phone's screen, which reinforces the grip. I found the phone extremely comfortable to hold for longer stretches, with both one hand and two, while playing video, games, and going about my daily business.
One other thing I'll say about the Round's curve is that by essentially folding the phone, it makes the handset a hair narrower from side to side. In other words, the display still measures 5.7 inches, but curving the screen reduces the width from edge to edge by just a tick.
The Round adopts the same lightly textured matte finish and molded 'stitching' as the Note 3.
In other design details, Samsung modeled the Round's hardware internals on the Galaxy Note 3, minus the S Pen stylus. It runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean on a 5.7-inch 1080p HD AMOLED display, with TouchWiz on top. You navigate with a physical home button and capacitive buttons. Above the screen, you have your 2-megapixel front-facing camera, with the 13-megapixel shooter and LED flash on back.
Moving on to the spines, the volume rocker takes up its usual residence on the left edge, with the power-lock button in its typical, controversial spot on the right spine (controversial in my eyes because the button tends to turn itself on in my bag.) Up top are the headset jack and IR blaster for controlling the TV, and on the bottom you have the Micro-USB charging port.
While the Round doesn't have the Note's stylus, it does share the same backing: a faux stitched leather that's actually molded from plastic. I like the move to matte, and it does have a pleasantly grippy feel.
Display pros and cons
A screen arched like this one immediately raises questions of visibility: does it improve or detract in any way from the phone's viewing experience or day-to-day tasks? In most cases, the screen's more yielding shape is a bonus.
All smartphones have issues with reflection, which manufacturers try to tamp down in various ways. The Round's screen still bounces back artificial and natural light, but the way that light hits the eye has changed. The curve distorts reflections, so that looking at the locked screen head-on, you'll see horizontal or vertical bands of light, depending on the phone's portrait or landscape orientation.
When viewed from the side -- say, laying the Round and Note next to me on my desk, so that I have to glance away to see the display -- the Round gives off the same amount of light and patterns as the Note 3, but blurs some of the reflection so it looks gauzier and less distinct. That's all while the screens are dark. When playing content, this distorted reflection helps make reflections less distracting.
Videos and games play back with a slightly less distracting glare.
Watching movies, playing games, and viewing video are all completely natural and immersive on the Round's surface. You wouldn't guess you're looking at a contoured screen. In one test, I watched the same video play on a Note 3 side-by-side with the Round. Video quality seemed almost identical to the naked eye, though it did seem the Round reduced glare by a tiny fraction.
Games requiring a lot of swiping, like Temple Run 2 and Fruit Ninja, seemed unaffected or only slightly affected by the display's bend. I did get the impression in Temple Run that the game didn't always accurately register swipes I made on a slope as well as it recognized centered gestures. I didn't notice this problem later on, though, which may mean I adjusted to the screen's slightly altered layout. The landscape mode Riptide GP 2 played great.
You may notice a few more mistakes than usual while typing on the Round, especially in portrait mode. When they aren't lit up, I sometimes missed the capacitive buttons and some of the virtual keys. I wasn't drastically off, but they weren't where I thought they should be based on muscle memory. Thankfully, adjusting didn't take long.
Rock-a-bye Round
What's the use of a phone you can rock on a tabletop if you can't have a little fun with the motion? Samsung, never one to let a software feature go untested, adds two gesture controls just for the Round.
The first, Quick Glance, shows details like the time, date, battery level, and message badges when you hold down the Round's side -- either edge will do. It works as advertised, just not very well. You have to press and hold the phone in position about three full seconds before a blue light appears, followed by your details. If the phone is on a slick surface, chances are good the phone will skid across it every time as you valiantly try to hold on.
As a timesaver, Quick Glance actually is more gimmicky than helpful, especially since you can get the same details more quickly by just pressing the power/lock button once. A better move? Double-tapping the screen to show details, like some other rival Androids.
Samsung's new Quick Glance motion control for the Galaxy Round.
Tilt-to-play music controls work better. If the screen goes dark while music from your library is playing, you can gently bounce down the phone's right side to advance a track and the left side to go back. The problem here is that the feature only works with the music player app, so if you're streaming songs from Pandora, Spotify, or Google's cloud music system, these gesture shortcuts won't have an effect.
You'll find both these add-ons, and many more, in the Motions submenu of Controls in the Round's settings menu.
Even more software features
There're a tremendous number of apps and software features tucked into the Galaxy Round's version of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, from Google-loaded services like YouTube, Maps, Navigation, and Search, to Samsung apps and partner contributions, like S Health, S Voice, Dropbox, and Trip Advisor.
Swipe up from the bottom of any home screen (or triple click the Home button) to access My Magazine, a Flipboard-powered newsreader. You'll be able to swipe down (or better yet, swipe with two fingers) to get to toggles for activities like reading mode and multi window, and to system settings like near-field communication, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth.
Motion controls handle a bundle of tilts, swipes, air gestures, and eyeball-tracking and touch activities.
Camera and video
The Round is blessed with the same feature-rich 13-megapixel camera that also graces the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4. That means access to modes that use both the front and rear cameras, burst mode, a number of filters, stabilization algorithms, and white balance presets. There are voice triggers as well as guideline marks.
The camera uses continuous autofocus and touch focus, but you can also turn on a setting to take pictures when you tap the screen.
A 13-megapixel camera and flash adorn the phone's back, with a 2-megapixel shooter on the front.
Image quality is high with the right lighting conditions in place; in other words, lots of it. Colors look most accurate and images are sharpest in natural light, with edges getting a bit fuzzier and colors less true-to-life under an artificial glow.
Low-light photography is a Samsung weakness across the board; the company compensates with an automated night mode that's meant to lend a hand. In my experience, the resulting photos were usually soft and took too long to process. I got my best photos of dim environments by just using the flash. That's not everyone's cup of tea, I know, since flash can also blow out backgrounds, add crazy glare, and blind all your friends.
Another Samsung photo "aid" comes in the form of Beauty Face, an airbrushing filter that's automatically applied to front-facing camera shots. Too much of yourself up close isn't always a good thing, Samsung knows, but I personally find photos taken in this mode to be creepily artificial, taking too many years off my age and giving my skin a grayish mannequin mask.
Check out some sample photos for yourself, which were taken using the Round's automatic mode, unless otherwise stated. You can click to see the full-resolution image
This close-up, in HDR mode, of the dice in our standard studio shot looks terrific: colorful, evenly exposed, and razor sharp.
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Performance: Processor speeds and battery life
Processing brawn is impressive, with the Round's 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM 8974) processor, it's about as zippy as you can find on a phone these days. It's accompanied by an Adreno 330 GPU, and 3GB RAM.
Navigation and apps loaded rapidly, and gameplay was especially responsive, with detailed graphics. Gaming felt extra sensitive and streaming video performed flawlessly in my tests. There's plenty of storage to go around, with 32GB of onboard space and an up-to-64GB microSD card slot.
Like the Note 3, the Round blew diagnostic Quadrant results out of the water with a score of 21,766. That said, I'd take that with an ounce of skepticism; Samsung has been accused of cooking the books in popular tests like Quadrant.
The 2,800mAh battery should keep things ticking along, though battery life will falter far before the Note 3, which has a 3,200mAh ticker. The Round's battery is rated for 16 hours, and 15.4 days on standby, versus the Note 3's 25 hours of talk time and 17.5 days on standby. Stay tuned for more detailed runtime tests from our labs.
I was unable to test LTE in San Francisco using an AT&T SIM card. I'll update this review in the future if the Round is optimized for US networks.
Call quality
I tested the unlocked Galaxy Round in San Francisco using AT&T's network. As with the majority of Samsung phones I've tested recently, audio is on the low side, which means that it sounds most comfortable at top volume. That's fine and dandy for quiet, indoor locales, but if you're venturing
outside, your only recourse is to use some volume-boosting software that you can toggle on from the dial screen.
Quality was a mixed bag when I held the phone at hip level. The line was clear throughout all my calls -- I didn't catch a whisper of background noise -- but in some, I did hear some skipping, like my test partner was always clearing his throat (he wasn't.) His voice also lacked qualities of roundness and depth, making it sound as though he was skimming the surface of our call without sinking in.
On the other end of the line, the Round was praised as "nearly as good as a wired phone," though perhaps not as clean-sounding or sharp. My partner said there was absolute silence on the line and no odd sounds, but volume was strong.
Speakerphone wasn't bad at all just below maximum volume, but raise it to the highest levels and it'll acquire a buzzy audio quality. Voice quality was acceptable, but sounded slightly hollow. On his end of the line, volume dropped, but the call's clarity remained unchanged.
The shape of the future?
I'll admit I was skeptical of the Round when I first heard of it, but the comforts of its screen curvature have quickly won me over. The shape isn't necessarily life-changing or industry-disruptive, but the advancement in screen tech that lets bowed-out AMOLED displays work in the first place, opens the door to a lot of interesting and potentially useful applications for any electronic device topped with a touch screen.
Yet with subtle slants and attention to ergonomic detail, the Galaxy Round elevates the already top-tier hardware with handheld comfort and a design that also reduces distracting visual glare. While the curve could alter how you adapt to typing and screen presses, and some "roll" effects are superfluous, on the whole, the scoop is slight enough to be more help than hindrance.
The Round, top, compared to the Note 3.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
As usual, there's a battle brewing on the "right" way to do the curve. The Round opts for a vertical bend, the folded-magazine approach, while the rival LG G Flex bends down at the middle, the top of the phone is reaching for its toes. It'll certainly be interesting to compare the two for comfort and ease-of-use (so stay tuned!).
Although the Round isn't really a serious option for much of the world, its higher-end specs put the nuts and bolts of the thing ahead of the Flex in terms of hardware -- the part that matters more to me. Yet the Flex's actually bendable form -- which snaps back if you press it flat -- is the more innovative to my ears. Either way, the Round and Flex are just the start of contoured handsets to come.
It's a pity that the Galaxy Round is only sold with Korean carriers for now, because this ergonomically minded high-end smartphone offers practical, real-world benefits, and makes a strong case for curve
Gionee made headlines when it announced the world's slimmest smartphone, Elife S5.5, during the Mobile World Congress earlier this year. While new slimness records are made and broken every year, this slim warrior also boasts of powerful hardware under the hood, a full-HD display and an attractive price tag. So, is Elife S5.5 a no-compromise phone? We've been using the phone for the last few days and will try to answer this question in our review.
Build & Design
Gionee Elife S5.5 is available in a number of colours, but we got a black coloured one as our review unit. It is certain that when you take Elife S5.5 out of its box, the first thing that strikes you is the phone's super-sleek form factor.
It looks like a bar of chocolate. It's amazing how Gionee has managed to reduce the thickness of the phone to just 5.5mm and squeezed in hardware components further. It sports a unibody design so you can't remove the battery.
The phone doesn't only look sleek but also premium and solidly-built thanks to the use of materials like glass and magnesium alloy. The frame that holds the phone is made of the alloy with inserts for antenna at the edges.
The front features the 5.5-inch display, capacitive touch button for navigation, the front camera and the sensor array.
The shiny, all-glass back has a glossy finish and has a small, raised strip at the top left that features the camera lens and an LED flash. Even the back has Gorilla Glass protection to guard against scratches. However, we feel a matte finish rear would have been more helpful to go with the thinness and for better grip.
There's minimal branding at the back. The right edge sports the volume rocker and power keys that offer good tactile feedback and look nice. The left edge houses the micro-sim card tray. The 3.5mm headset jack is at the bottom edge and the micro-USB port sits at the top.
Display
Gionee S5.5 sports a 5-inch Full-HD Super AMOLED display that offers vivid albeit over-saturated colours. However, the black levels are very good and the display looks gorgeous with black themed apps and wallpapers. It comes with Gorilla Glass Class 3 coating to guard against scratches.
Brightness levels are great and we didn't encounter any problems using the phone in sunlight. Even the viewing angles are pretty good. We'll not hesitate to say that it's one of the most gorgeous displays we've seen recently, if one can ignore the over-saturated colours.
Software
This is one area where the world's slimmest phone loses points. We fail to understand why Gionee doesn't offer the latest release of Android with its new phones. Perhaps the Amigo 2.0 skin that it uses takes time to deploy.
While the UI featured on Elife S5.5 looks slightly different from the previous version of the software, it's still laggy and full of jarring transition effects and animations. It comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, an older version of the OS with Gionee's Amigo UI on top which is very different from stock Android. It also adds support for the double-tap to wake up gesture. For a complete review of Gionee's UI, you can check out our Elife E7 review.
We wish Gionee removes unnecessary visual effects and optimizes the software for the hardware. Of course, you can use an alternative launcher to make things better. We tried using Google Now launcher, but observed considerable amount of lag.
Camera
Gionee Elife S5.5 comes with a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera. During our use, we found the camera to be underwhelming particularly compared to Gionee Elife E7 which sports a great camera. Pictures shot in daylight were kind of underexposed and lacked punch. Colour reproduction was reasonably accurate and close-up shots were good.
pictures taken in less light turned out to be grainy and light sources appear to be distorted. Focusing takes time and is often a little tricky.
Videos recorded with the phone were above average, but we again encountered issues while trying to focus.
The front camera clicks good quality selfies and is great for video chats.
Gionee has included two custom camera apps, Camera and CharmCam. The Camera app is the primary app that lets you switch between a simple mode and a professional mode.
The professional mode features settings for Picture Size, Exposure value, White Balance and ISO, in addition to toggles for self-timer, HDR, Panorama, Face detection, and scene selection that are also included in the simple mode. An interesting inclusion is a level meter that helps in avoiding tilted captures. It also allows you to take burst shots.
The other app, CharmCam, features live filters to apply effects, and various shooting modes, including Face beauty, an Eraser mode for removing objects from photos, and even a PPT mode for capturing slideshows, among others.
Performance
Gionee Elife S5.5 is powered by a MediaTek MT6592 octa-core processor and 2GB RAM. The phone boasts of powerful hardware yet its performance was a mixed bag. We noticed minor lag while launching and switching between apps and even while browsing multimedia content in the gallery. The major culprit for underwhelming performance is the software which has not been optimized to take advantage of the hardware.
In synthetic benchmarks, the phone scored 26,573 in Antutu, 14,552 in Quadrant, 2391 in Geekbench 3(Multi-core) and 57.2 in Nenamark 2 benchmark tests. Some of these are less than the ones scored by Micromax Canvas Knight, another MediaTek octa-core smartphones.
But we'd not recommend a phone based solely on benchmarks as real world performance can be different at times.
Another department where the phone disappoints is battery backup. The phone comes with a 2300mAh battery, but hardly sails through a full working day (9-10 hours) with moderate to heavy use.
The phone comes with 16GB storage, but unfortunately, it doesn't sport a microSD card slot. This means you'll need to live with the limited storage capacity of the phone. Elife E7 and E7 mini also don't come with a microSD card slot. Gionee must do something about this if it has to take Indian market seriously.
We were able to play most video and audio files on the phone without encountering problems. The phone offers good call quality and signal reception. It was able to lock to GPS without any hiccups.
The external speaker on the phone offers loud sound output. However, the sound gets muffled when the phone lies on its back, which is a problem with all such designs that place speakers at the back.
Gaming
The phone is able to handle graphics-rich games without any hiccups, but multitasking becomes a bit sluggish if a lot of apps are running in the background due to less RAM. We were able to play games like Danger Dash. Asphalt 8 (with visual details set to 100%) and Riptide GP 2 without encountering any problems. However, we noticed that the phone gets heated up within a few minutes of playing graphics-heavy games.
Verdict
Gionee Elife S5.5 never claims to be a flagship phone (Elife E7 enjoys that status). The phone's headline feature is its slim and sleek form factor and premium fit and finish. It surely lives up to it. It also looks more expensive than what it's priced at. Even in terms of performance, the phone has good potential as evident from its gaming prowess.
However, it is let down by Gionee's Amigo software layer which hampers smooth day-to-day operation. While we appreciate Gionee's efforts in bundling useful apps, we could really do without all the extra visual bells and whistles.
At a price of about Rs 23,000, Gionee Elife S5.5 is a good buy if you're looking for a phone that looks good and gives you a reason to boast about (at least till the time some other phone wins the race to be slimmest).
But if you're primarily looking for a smartphone that performs well, we'd recommend Motorola's Moto X. If you want a big screen phone in the same price range, you can also check out HTC Desire 816, which has an additional advantage of dual-sim (GSM+CDMA) functionality. Among other octa-core smartphones, the Micromax Canvas Knight is also an option that you could consider.
There was a time when exercise was a chore and staying healthy began and ended at eating your greens. But fast forward to today and we're suddenly obsessed with quantifying our lives, discovering data we never knew before in a bid to eke out every morsel of fitness we can.
A world where people have heart rate monitors that link to their phones and wristbands that track their steps.
Staying fit and healthy still takes work, but we have a lot more tools to help us achieve our goals and many of them are now aided by smartphones, which wirelessly link and provide additional data and feedback on your health and performance, or just give you a bit more motivation and make fitness fun.
There are loads of smartphone compatible health and fitness accessories out there, but hit up our list of ten fitness gadgets (and accessories to power you through) and you'll be in prime position to get in the best shape of your life.
1. Fitbit Flex (£79.99)
Fitbit has made quite a name for itself with its range of fitness accessories as we've become obesessed with 'gamifying' our lives. The latest device from the company, the Fitbit Flex, is a fitness tracking wristband which keeps track of how many steps you take, how far you've travelled and how many calories you've burned.
If you sleep with it on it can even track the amount and quality of your sleep and in the morning it can wake you up with vibrations, which is both a gentle way to rise and won't wake up your partner.
It's water resistant so you can take it almost anywhere and it has a fairly minimalist design, lacking even a display.
But if you want to see your stats you can just link it up to the Fitbit app forAndroid, iOS and Windows Phone, where you can then see all those stats along with your long term progress and it even has a section for logging your food.
You can also sync your data with select third party apps such as Runtastic.
If you'd rather have a display on your fitness tracker you could always opt for the Fitbit One instead, which has similar features and a little screen.
2. Nike+ Fuelband SE (£129)
Nike has also embraced fitness bands and the Nike+ Fuelband SE is the product of its labour. However where Nike's offering differs from competitors is in its use of 'NikeFuel', which is what it gives you in exchange for carrying out activities.
and
You can set a target daily 'NikeFuel' amount and then the Fuelband will use 20 coloured LED's to show you how close you are to reaching it, with them turning from red to green as you approach your goal.
The new SE version even allows you to track different activities more accurately through 'Sessions'.
It uses an accelerometer to judge how active you've been and as well as NikeFuel it can also show you how many steps you've taken or how many calories you've burned.
It looks surprisingly stylish and can even display the time, so you can ditch your watch. It's also water resistant and has a five day battery life.
You can get even more functionality by Bluetooth pairing it with the iOS app, after which you can sync it to the app and then see a breakdown of your activity over the last week, month or year.
It can also further incentivise you by showing unlocked achievements and you can change your daily fitness goal straight from the app.
3. Zephyr HxM Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor (£79.99)
The Zephyr HxM Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor is a bit of a mouthful to say, but its features are fairly straightforward. You can wear it on your chest with the included strap, use Bluetooth to link it up to your iPhone, Android or Windows Phone 8 device and then get running.
While you're going or once you're done, you can use your smartphone to check your heart rate, distance travelled, speed and intensity level of your workout.
However, while many accessories rely primarily on their own app, the Zephyr Heart Rate Monitor is compatible with numerous third party fitness apps, such as Endomondo, MapMyRun and Runtastic.
So if you already use a fitness app you can just slot this in to improve its tracking capabilities.
4. JayBird Sportsband 2 (£69.99)
Tracking calories, distance and heart rate is all well and good, but you shouldn't underestimate the value of a good tune during a workout. It can prevent it from becoming monotonous and even get you energised if you listen to something suitably upbeat.
The problem is that most head and earphones aren't designed with sports in mind, but that's exactly what the JayBird Sportsband 2 was created for.
The JayBird Sportsband 2 passes the first hurdle by being grippy enough to stay in place when running or playing sports. It also has a lightweight construction so it won't weigh you down or distract you and as it links to your phone via Bluetooth there aren't any wires to get tangled up in.
But it goes further than that with on-ear music controls, which let you change the volume or skip track all without fumbling with your phone or trying to find controls on a cord.
It can be used to take calls wirelessly too and to top it all off it looks damn fine.
5. Withings Smart Body Analyser (£129.95)
The Withings Smart Body Analyser might just look like scales, but it's a whole lot more than that.
Yes if you step on it you can get an ultra precise measurement of how much you weigh, but it can also tell you how much body fat you have, tell you your heart rate and even check the quality of the air, so that you'll be better able to optimise your environment.
Couple it with the Withings Health Mate app for Android and iOS and it can also upload your data and let you set weight goals, which it will then break down into achievable weekly targets and let you see your progress.
6. Jawbone UP (£99.99)
The Jawbone UP is another fitness band, though perhaps one that's less well known on these shores than Fitbit or Nike's offerings.
It certainly matches them for features though, as it can track steps, distance, calories burned and the amount of time that you spend idle versus the amount of time that you spend being active.
It can also tell you how long you sleep for, how long it takes you to fall asleep, how many times you woke up during the night and how long you spend in light versus deep sleep.
It has a ten day battery life and while we wouldn't exactly call it stylish it's not the worst thing you could wear on your wrist either.
Like the Fitbit Flex it doesn't have a display, so you'll have to use the 'UP by Jawbone' app for iOS and Android to see how you're doing. As well as showing you all the tracked data, the app also lets you log food and drink and set goals.
And to allow you freedom with your exercise: the Jawbone UP is compatible with some other fitness apps, such as RunKeeper and MapMyFitness.
7. Tune Belt Sport Armband (£16.99)
There are loads of smartphone armbands out there and if you plan to use your phone for fitness tracking or listening to music while you work out, investing in one is all but essential.
The Tune Belt Sport Armband isn't much to look at but it does the important stuff, namely keeps your smartphone securely fastened to your arm while protecting it from bumps, scratches and the elements.
Your health is in your hands. Seriously, it’s right there—or it can be, in the form of flashy little apps downloaded to your smartphone. But with so many options to choose from, it can be tough to know which apps actually enable results. So at a time when storage space is precious and your health even more so, we’ve hand-selected the 65 best health and fitness apps designed to help you create a healthier you.
We scoured every app market for standouts that were pushing the boundaries of health and fitness, and we sought to cover an array of interests and goals. While we definitely took popularity into consideration, we placed most of our focus for each app on these key criteria:
Is it highly rated?
Does it offer something totally unique?
Is it user-friendly?
Is it reliable and not buggy?
Can it continue to grow and innovate?
Some of these apps have made it onto our yearly list in the past (they’re just that awesome!). We took our research seriously, but if there are other apps we should consider for next year, let us know in the comments below!
Fitness and Strength
Cody What It Is: Why do it alone when you can get fit with friends? Cody offers users inside connections to a fitness community where they can share and discover workouts (complete with video, photo, and text instructions) by following new and old friends. Why It's Cool: Users get their own cheering section! Friends can like and comment on each other’s workout activity (Seriously, what could be more motivational?). Cody also allows users to track their progress via a timeline packed with stats and highlights. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
FitStar What It Is: NFL star Tony Gonzalez has taken on the role of personal trainer. Multi-angled videos coach users through pe-loaded and customizable workouts that meet their fitness goals. Why It’s Cool: Once you think you’ve gotten a handle on your workout, FitStar throws you for a loop by calculating your progress and making the next move in your routine an unexpected (and satisfying) challenge. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
Fitness Fast What It Is: Fitness Fast gets into the nitty gritty of any workout—both pre-loaded or personally customized—by providing instructions for numerous exercises targeting key muscles. It also number-crunches optimal rep max, tracks sleep and body stats, and offers a community forum for crowd-sourced fitness info and social support. Why It's Cool: Snap a photo, log it, and literally see your progress in specific areas (abs, arms, back, etc.). Detailed charts graph reps, sets, inches, weight, calories, BMI, and the effect sleep patterns have on workouts. Cost: $0.99. Available for iOS.
Gain Fitness What It Is: This personal trainer app is stocked with more than 1,300 exercises, HD motion images, and step-by-step voice commands. Tell it your fitness goals, and it tells you what routines will help you accomplish those goals. Why It's Cool: Only have a few pieces of equipment on hand? No worries. Just give the app an inventory of your equipment and it will generate countless routines geared toward your fitness level while tracking every set, rep, weight, and rest time so you can gauge your gains. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
NIKE Training Club What It Is: This app features more than 100 full-body, 15-, 30-, and 45- minute workouts (complete with step-by-step audio, visual, and video demos) from some of the world’s most inspirational female athletes, trainers, and celebrities. Why It's Cool: Get lean, get toned, get strong: You choose! Tailored workout programs make this app uniquely functional, regardless of your fitness goals. Whether you’re opting for a 4-week program tailored to your abilities or supplementing your regular workout sessions, this app goes above and beyond basic instructions to measure your progress in number of workouts, minutes logged, and average calories burned. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Pact What It Is: Formerly know as GymPact, this app still encourages users to put their money on the line and their butts in the gym (or to get moving in some way). Each week, users pledge a set number of days they’ll work out along with a set amount of cash. Users pay up for each day they miss, and get paid each time they bust out a workout. Why It's Cool: Instead of losing money, users typically wind up gaining fitness. The rebranded app now features a motion tracker, as well as an option to connect with other tracking apps so users’ winnings don't all go towards a gym membership. Users can also now enter into new nutritional pacts—commit to eating healthy, or pay up. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Reps & Sets What It Is: For those looking to calculate their gains with precision and no distractions, Reps & Sets is the app to turn to. Users can pre-program their favorite workouts or choose a pre-loaded one, set the timer, and then simply check off each set as they go. Log every detail, from supersets and drop-sets to weights, the incline of the bench, and body measurements while progress is tracked and graphed. Why It's Cool: No one wants to be tinkering with their phone when in the rep zone, which is why this app keeps it simple. Swiping through interactive muscle diagrams and illustrated exercise guides before workouts, and detailed progress charts and spreadsheets after breaking sweat, can fine tune your routine. Cost: $1.99. Available for iOS.
Runtastic Six-Pack Abs What It Is: Packed with a variety of ab workouts, including a customized 10-Week Six-Pack Plan, The 7-Minute Workout, Insanity, Shape Up, and Six-Pack Junkie, this HD-video-based app produces results and allows users to track and share their progress. Why It's Cool: Choose your personal trainer avatar and get crunching, mountain climbing, or reverse curling. As your avatar breaks down each move, the muscles they’re targeting are illuminated, so you know where you’ll feel the burn. Whether you’re customizing a 5-minute workout or gearing up for the 30-minute insane ab routine, you can amp up the motivation with music packs that match the pace of each circuit. Users can also sync workouts with Runtastic. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Tracking and Analytics
Argus What It Is: Argus tracks everything—and we mean everything—24/7. The app monitors every step, stride, cycle, bite, sip, pound, snore, and more. Constantly processing your daily routine, Argus produces detailed charts that can help you make sense of numerous bio-feedback data points to reach your health goals and improve overall wellbeing. Why It's Cool: Argus is pretty much a health diary you don’t have to remind yourself to write in. It allows you to uncover important trends in your personal health habits that you didn’t even know were there. Not only is the interface sleek and intuitive, but Argus is easy on the battery (even for a 24/7 monitor). Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
CARROTfit What It Is: A judgmental weight tracker? Yes, that’s exactly what this app is. The simple-to-use tracker is moderated by CARROT, who doles out harsh criticism to motivate “meatbags” to lose weight . Why It’s Cool: The app promises that “losing weight is going to suck so much less” thanks to hefty servings of motivational snark. Not everyone gets fired up by “rah, rah, rah!” coaching, which is why CARROT’s threatening, ridiculing, and bribing may do the trick. Especially when she shares new workout tips for every pound dropped. Cost: $1.99. Available for iOS.
EveryMove What It Is: This rewards-based app turns your every fitness move into points that earn you rewards from retailers and services that value your healthy lifestyle. Why It's Cool: You’re already logging your every fitness accomplishment, so why not get rewarded for them? No need to switch apps and lose your stat-packed fitness history; EveryMove easily connects with MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal, Nike apps, RunKeeper, Runtastic, Strava, and more. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android. Coming soon for Windows Phone.
Fitocracy What It Is: If it’s true that “there’s power in numbers,” then this app is one of the most powerful—especially when it comes to motivating its multitude of users via a community of dedicated fitness enthusiasts that are tracking their progress too. Why It's Cool: Fitocracy not only introduces you to a world bustling with fitness coaches, nutrition experts, and other folks from a wide variety of fitness backgrounds; it also turns that world into a game in which you enter strength training, cardio, and nutrition challenges, gain points, and track your progress toward the ultimate goal: optimal health and fitness. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Human What It Is: A casual fitness app that encourages you to take on the “Daily30”, which is exactly what it sounds like: Thirty minutes of physical activity, every day, whenever and in whatever way you want. Why It’s Cool: Walk, run, skip, gallop, dance, jump rope—as long as you’re being active for more than a minute at a time, no matter what you’re doing, Human tracks your movement and lets you know when you’ve achieved your Daily 30. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
MapMyFitness What It Is: Fitness isn’t one of those things you can neatly fit, and keep, in a box—which is where this GPS-based fitness tracking app comes in. The app allows users to explore and manage more than 600 fitness activities, meaning virtually anyone can tailor the app to their personal routines. Why It's Cool: Whether you’re running, rock climbing, playing tennis, or swimming, MapMyFitness records every detail of your workout, including duration, distance, pace, speed, elevation, calories burned, and route traveled on an interactive map. The app compiles and crunches this data to create a comprehensive workout history. Cost: Free. Available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.
Moves What It Is: Minute by minute, this pedometer-app calculates your calorie burn based on your mode of movement—be it walking, running, or cycling. Why It's Cool: Sometimes you just don’t want to deal with all the doohickeys. Moves gets right to the calorie-burning point by presenting your day as a simple storyline of steps, strides, and pedals. It serves as a straightforward reminder that little changes really can add up to huge progress. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
The Walk What It Is: Turn a routine stroll into a thrilling adventure as this gamified pedometer tracks minutes walked and steps taken—all while users participate in games in which they’re tasked with saving the world (by walking long distances, of course). Why It’s Cool: Before you set out, choose an episode and follow the storyline to your destination. With each step tracked, more and more clues are revealed. Users can always elect to change the story, making it more intense depending on fitness level. Cost: $2.99. Available for iOS and Android.
Intervals and Circuit Training
Power20 What It Is: Power through 20-minute, full-body workouts with this interval training app. Why It's Cool: Only able to do 10 push-ups (on a good day)? No worries. Power20 will take note and customize a routine that meets your fitness abilities while still offering up a challenge. Each challenge includes a tip or two, which are displayed via illustrated videos and infographics. Cost: $2.99. Available for iOS.
Seconds Pro What It Is: This is the interval timer to beat all timers. Customize every detail of the timer to create simple, straightforward circuit workouts. Why It's Cool: Not only do the customized, color-coded backgrounds behind each circuit’s timer keep you on your toes, but the app boasts iPod integration, which allows users to assign playlists or tracks to individual timer intervals (Talk about a fun way to know it’s time to transition to the next exercise!). Cost: $4.99. Available for iOS.
SworkIt Pro What It Is: Enter in the part of your body that you want to work and how long you want to work it, and this bodyweight-based circuit training app will ‘sworkit’, if you will, by customizing a workout just for you—complete with stretches, strength training, cardio, yoga, and timed breaks. Why It's Cool: Aside from customizing users’ workouts, SworkIt comes with 12 pre-loaded routines for everyone, from surfer dudes to pregnant fitness fanatics. The Pro version offers advanced stat tracking and goal setting, and also syncs with My Fitness Pal. Cost: $0.99. Available for iOS and Android.
Tabata Trainer What It Is: This interval training app is based on the wildly intense, 4-minute Tabata method of training. Why It's Cool: Choose from pre-loaded workout routines or customize your own by swiping through the updated exercise library for a seriously simple challenge. Thanks to the new Voice feedback on all exercises, your form will always be on point. Cost: $1.99. Available for iOS.
Running and Cardio
Boston Marathon World Run What It Is: Regardless of ability or location, this app allows runners to get involved in the 2014 Boston Marathon community by pledging to run, walk, or wheel any distance over any period of time. Why It's Cool: Runners can pledge a distance, share photos, and interact with current Boston Marathon elite athletes while receiving digital incentives like a printable bib number, finisher’s certificate, and Facebook medal. Best of all, this app allows users to donate to One Fund Boston. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Nike+ Running What It Is: Track distance, pace, time, and calories burned—then share those stats with friends. The app also now offers the guidance of a coach to motivate you to reach new goals. Why It's Cool: The app comes equipped with training programs, coaching tips, and daily workouts to get you 5K-, 10K-, half-marathon-, or marathon- race-ready. It also sends a daily motivational reminder to lace up and hit the pavement. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
PUMATRAC What It Is: Track distance, pace, and calories burned while analyzing your personal behaviors so you can learn how to get the most out of a workout. Why It's Cool: PUMATRAC gives an absurd amount of insight into each run. There’s even a feature that tells you which days of the week you typically run your personal best, how weather can impact your personal calorie burn, and what tunes get your feet moving fastest. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
RunKeeper What It Is: This app puts all your running stats (pace, distance, and time) at your fingertips in a bold format perfect for eyes “on the run.” It also organizes the data into neat charts so you can track your progress during your cooldown walk. Why It's Cool: Not only does RunKeeper track your running stats, but it also keeps track of the awe-inspiring sites along your running route by letting your share snapshots with friends. RunKeeper’s GPS can log walks, bike rides, hikes, and more. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Runtastic Pro What It Is: This live-tracking running app is equipped with uplifting song features that act as surprising motivation when you least expect it (but need it most). Why It's Cool: Story Running! The latest version of Runtastic Pro lets you choose an audio story from a variety of genres written specifically to motivate runners. When the tension builds, so does your speed. Cost: $4.99. Available for iOS and Android.
Spring/Spring Moves What It Is: Founded in science, this music app operates on rhythm-based movement, pulling tracks for your personal playlist while tracking your run. Why It's Cool: You get the GPS and the distance, time, and calorie tracking, but you also get a playlist customized just for you based on your running rhythm! No more worrying about picking the perfect songs. Research confirms that listening to music can amp up our power and endurance during a workout. Cost: Free Available for iOS.
Zombies, Run! 2 What It Is: The story continues. The zombie apocalypse is still raging and this app is tracking your run, which just so happens to double as a mission to save the human race. The further and faster you go, the more supplies you collect in this game-based app. Why It's Cool: The app has added 100-plus more missions, along with a Zombie Chase interval training program. Cost: $3.99. Available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.
Cycling
Cyclemeter GPS What It Is: This training program app is equipped with GPS to map out routes and a tracker to manage laps, intervals, and splits. Why It's Cool: When you can’t exactly be hands-on (two hands on the handlebars, folks!), this app takes care of it for you by allowing for start and stop activation via your earphone remote, and automatic stop detection that pauses your tracker. Cost: $4.99. Available for iOS.
RoadID What It Is: Perfect for runners, cyclists, hikers, walkers, and skiers who often find themselves on adventures, RoadID allows friends or family to track you while you’re out. They don’t need the app; they just need a web browser and your username in order to monitor your progress and safety. Why It's Cool: This app lets you know you’re not alone on the road. Users can create a personalized lock screen that includes up to three “in case of emergency contacts” as well as important health information. If something happens, a friend or family member is alerted so they can get you the help you need. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
Strava Cycling What It Is: Turn your training into a game with this cycling tracking app. Why It's Cool: Connect with other cyclists and challenge them to rides that will push both of you further. Each time you set a personal record, you earn King or Queen of the Mountain honors. You can also check in on friends and send them support while they’re riding out their own goals. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Weight Management
LoseIt! What It Is: LoseIt! is a calorie tracking app that creates a weight loss plan just for you. Plug in your goals, from pounds lost per week to overall wellness, and LoseIt! will customize a plan that fits your life. Why It's Cool: Tracking is beyond easy with LoseIt!’s barcode scanner feature and vast food database. Plus, it makes weight management fun by allowing users to create head-to-head, team, and group-based challenges. LoseIt! also connects with a ton of other apps and devices. Cost: Free. Available for iOS, Android, Kindle, and Nook.
MyFitnessPal What It Is: This popular calorie tracker boasts a food database overflowing with more than three million foods, with the added perk of a cardio and strength training tracker loaded with 350 exercises. Why It's Cool: Users can enter their own recipes and calculate their nutritional contents, allowing them to keep tabs on nutrition info including calories, fat, protein, carbs, sugar, fiber, and cholesterol. Cost: Free. Available for iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone.
Noom Weight Loss Coach What It Is: This personalized coaching app helps you form healthy habits through daily tasks, meal logging, and exercise tracking. Log meals and workouts while the integrated pedometer counts your steps all day. Why It's Cool: Noom offers the encouragement and support you need to stay motivated, daily health and wellness articles sent your way, and healthy recipes. Color-coded logging teaches you which foods are really healthy (and which foods aren’t). The huge food database is loaded with nearly one million foods, including meals at popular restaurants and local cuisines. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Withings What It Is: Monitoring overall wellness means paying attention to a number of personal stats. Withings makes that easier by allowing users to monitor things like weight, activity, blood pressure, and sleep all in one place. Why It's Cool: The "Health Mate" sends entertaining, supportive messages to get you pumped to exercise. The display shows a butterfly with four quadrants (weight, activity, heart, and sleep) that grows and shrinks depending on how healthy users are at that moment. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Diet and Nutrition
Allergy Food Translator What It Is: Travelers with food allergies, rejoice! This translation app covers 62 food allergies translated by native language speakers—perfect for trips abroad. Why It's Cool: Just type in your food allergies, click to translate, flash your waiter the screen, and s/he'll know which foods you need to stay away from. The translations contain specific, in-your-face warning labels. Ah, to feel relaxed about your allergy in a restaurant can be a vacation in itself. Cost: $2.99. Available for iOS.
Fitocracy Macros What It Is: This super-simple macro and calorie counter is perfect for people tracking their macronutrients. Why It’s Cool: With the right macros, the thinking goes, you can remain full all day, stay energetic, and build lean muscle. The app has a ton of updates in the works, such as fiber, water, and alcohol counting. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Fooducate What It Is: Turns out a barcode can actually tell you a lot more about nutritional value than a food label can—at least it will with this app, which can help you make healthier choices when grocery shopping. Why It's Cool: Fooducate not only deciphers the quality of calories in a given food item, it also suggests similar yet healthier products and tracks your food intake and exercise. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
HealthyOut What It Is: If only restaurant and takeout meals came with nutrition labels, right? Well, when you’ve got the HealthyOut app, they do! Just plug in your dietary restrictions and nutritional needs, and this app will find you something worth biting into at the restaurant of your choice. Why It's Cool: Low Calorie, Low Carb, Low Fat, High Protein, Low Sodium, Heart Healthy? No problem. Vegetarian, Vegan, Lactose Intolerant, or Gluten Free? No problem. Eating Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, or Zone? No problem. Once you’ve chosen a dish, HealthyOut will suggest healthy modifications and break down the calories into protein, carbs, and fats. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Rise What It Is: A nutrition coaching app featuring a… wait for it… real live nutrition coach! (To access the coach, you first have to join the Rise community via plans starting at as low as $15 a week.) Why It's Cool: Craving a cheeseburger with extra bacon at 2am? Your coach will be there for you. Your needs are actually acknowledged, 24/7. The coach will set up a personalized plan and you’ll receive daily expertise, tips, and feedback—perhaps the most important part when it comes to making progress. Cost: Free ($15+/month to join the Rise community). Available for iOS.
Shopwell What It Is: When you can’t have a personal nutritionist create your grocery shopping list, you can always have Shopwell do it. With a quick scan of a barcode, this app can determine which foods meet your dietary needs. Why It's Cool: Shopwell personally scores each product just for you based on your age, gender, health goals, diet needs, and ingredient and nutrition preferences. Scores range from 0-100; the higher the number, the better the product is for you. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
UPcoffee What It Is: With coffee in one hand and this app in the other, you’ll be on your way to better understanding how your caffeine consumption seeps into your sleep habits. Why It’s Cool: After seven days of tracking all the caffeine you consume—from chocolate, to coffee, to tea, to energy drinks—your caffeine persona will be revealed. Track for 10 days, and UPcoffee will understand your body well enough to tell you when your day’s jolt will mellow and you’ll finally be able to get some shut eye. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
YoDish What It Is: A fast and fun way to share your dining successes and failures when it comes to preparing food-allergy-friendly, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan meals. Why It's Cool: That dish may meet your dietary restriction, look good, and sound good—but does it actually taste good? Take the word of others who have actually given it a bite—and a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
Zipongo What It Is: This app is all about eating healthy on the cheap, which is why it alerts you to weekly in-store sale items and digital coupons and helps you build your shopping list around these savings. Why It's Cool: Zipongo has its own database of "GO foods"—food that qualify as healthy based on their analysis of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. It's also chock full of healthy-eating tips and recipes. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and coming soon for Android.
Mind and Brain
Braingle What It Is: Oh, it’s only the world's largest collection of brain teasers, riddles, logic problems, mind puzzles, and optical illusions from Braingle.com. Why It's Cool: Braingle is packed with more than 15,000 brain teasers, and more are added daily. Customize your own favorites list and download the teasers so you can exercise your cognitive skills even when you’re offline. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
Duo Lingo What It Is: This popular language-learning app teaches users how to read, write, listen, and speak a new language at their own pace—when you want to, not when you have to. Why It's Cool: Thirty-four hours on Duo Lingo (theoretically) equals a whole semester in college. The app hooks people by turning learning a language into a real brain game. Users lose "lives" when they get a question wrong and gain points with each right question. The app tracks progress over time so nothing is lost. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Khan Academy What It Is: Free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere? Yes, please. The updated version now features articles in addition to more than 4,200 videos. Why It's Cool: Need a refresher in mathematics, chemistry, art history, or finance? Just pull out your phone. With every video you watch, you log credits that add up to some serious educational achievements. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Windows Phone.
Lift What It Is: Everyone needs a little lift every now and then, which is where this app comes in. Acting as a personal life coach, Lift creates customized plans to help you meet your life goals. Why It's Cool: Lift recently transitioned from a pure tracking app to goal support—in other words, users are more connected than ever, with a community that’s looking to inspire you as much as they’re looking for you to inspire them. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Zen and Mindfulness
Acupressure: Heal Yourself What It Is: Release muscular tension and promote the circulation of blood (and, theoretically, the body's life force) with this app. Why It's Cool: Trouble quitting smoking? Experiencing more headaches than usual? Feel like something’s backed up in your gut? Acupressure: Heal Yourself has you covered, thanks to more than 90 accupressure points combinations tailored to specific issues. Cost: $1.99. Available for iOS and Android.
Buddhify2 What It Is: Buddhify2 specializes in guided meditations for the busy young professional who thinks they don’t have a second to breathe, let alone count their breaths. Why It's Cool: Quick but enlightening mediation sessions can be done while riding the subway, walking down crowded streets, or sitting at a cluttered desk. Buddhify2 also features a progress tracker that monitors mindfulness, concentration, and balance. Cost: $1.99. Available for iOS.
Calm What It Is: Calm offers a soothing, guided meditation app for whenever you need a break—even just a short one—from your day. Why It's Cool: Whether you’re searching for focus, creativity, energy, confidence, or a little extra sleep, Calm offers 50 guided meditations to choose from—which you can sync with 16 soothing music tracks by meditation music master, Kip Mazuy. Plus, new content is added monthly. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Daily Yoga What It Is: This yoga coaching app gets you through the most stressful days with dynamic yoga sessions displayed in HD videos, explained via live voice guidance, and backed by soothing music. Why It's Cool: The step-by-step guidance is perfect for beginners. With more than 45 yoga sessions and a library packed with more than 300 poses, users can track their way to zen-filled progress. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Headspace What It Is: If you’ve got 10 minutes, then you’ve got the time to hang out with Andy Puddicombe (full disclosure: a Greatist Expert!) and clear yourself some headspace via his 10-minute guided meditations. Why It's Cool: The app offers specialized free meditations on stress, eating, and public transportation—the very things that clutter so many of our minds on a daily basis. Just set yourself a reminder to check in every day and track your progress. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Mindshift What It Is: Anxious? This coaching app is designed with you in mind, as it works to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. Why It's Cool: It can help you change how you think about anxiety—rather than trying to avoid the sources of your nerves, you can learn to face them. The app includes strategies for dealing with everyday anxiety, as well as specific tools to tackle Test Anxiety, Perfectionism, Social Anxiety, Performance Anxiety, Worry, Panic, and Conflict. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Overall Health
Glow What It Is: For women looking to take a more in-depth approach to their sexual health, this period, ovulation, and fertility tracker applies advanced proprietary algorithms to your cycle, helping you determine when you should (or shouldn’t) hit the sheets. Why It's Cool: Detailed calendars, charts, and informative fertility tips offer a sex ed class in the palm of a hand, and allow users to pin down the best days to conceive or, depending on their goals, simply stick to kissing. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
GotoAID What It Is: This potentially life-saving database provides clear and simple step-by-step instructions for what to do in medical emergency situations—from identifying problems to providing first aid to people and pets when the clock is ticking. Why It's Cool: No matter the emergency, you’ll be able to handle it (at least until the professionals arrive). The app is stocked with more than 400 topics, interactive tools, and report generators. Cost: $4.99. Available for iOS and Android.
Headache Diary What It Is: Similar to a food diary but designed for headache sufferers, this app tracks every little detail (including triggers and remedies) when it comes to recurring headaches. Why It's Cool: Headaches can actually be quite telling when it comes to your overall health. By keeping detailed notes of headache symptoms—right down to the location, duration, and foods you snacked on before the headache flared—you can help your doctor diagnose you more easily and begin treating you quickly. Cost: Free. Available for Android.
Hula What It Is: This STI clinic locator app allows users to find a test center near them, get results online, and share test results with a partner. Why It's Cool: The app locates clinics in the user’s area that meet individualized criteria, from sliding-scale payments to specialties such as women’s health and LGBTQ-friendly care. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.
Performance Stretching What It Is: Improve athletic performance with this video-based app, which prepares the body for exercise with a variety of dynamic stretching routines and provides static and foam roller stretches for cool downs. Why It's Cool: No matter your sport of choice, there’s a dynamic stretching routine in here for you: The app is loaded with more than 150 stretches to help prevent injuries. Cost: $2.99. Available for iOS.
Sleep Cycle What It Is: Say hello to the new way of waking up. This bio-alarm clock analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you when you're in the lightest sleep phase. Why It's Cool: Waking up in your lightest sleep phase (which this app accomplishes by utilizing a 30-minute alarm window that ends at your set alarm time and wakes you in your lightest sleep phase during that window) allows you to start the day feeling relaxed and refreshed. Sleep Cycle also allows you to keep track of everyday factors that may be affecting your sleep patterns. Cost: $0.99. Available for iOS.
Social Good and Innovation
Budge What It Is: Up for a challenge? If so, set it in Budge, an app that allows you to challenge friends to pretty much any activity. Whoever loses makes a small donation to a worthy cause. Why It's Cool: If you’re not sure which charity you want the winnings to go to, scroll through a range of them until you find the right one. Once you win, you can share an epic brag from the app via your social media profiles, drawing more attention to the cause. Cost: Fee. Available on iOS.
Charity Miles What It Is: For every mile you run, bike, or walk, a corporate sponsor matches your miles monetarily and donates to a charity on your behalf. Why It's Cool: Users get to experience what it’d be like to be a sponsored athlete. Hard work pays off in the form of changing the lives of people in need. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.
Check in for Good What It Is: Sometimes the best way to make a difference is to simply… show up! With Check in for Good, users can pick a cause and visit a business supporting that cause. Once you “check in,” the business donates to the cause. Why It's Cool: Not only are users supporting worthy causes, but sometimes showing up comes with extra rewards—such as exclusive offers from participating businesses when you check in. Cost: Free. Available on iOS and Android.
Donate a Photo What It Is: They say a picture can be worth a thousand words. Well, a photo can be worth $1 that can make a priceless impact, thanks to this photo sharing app. Why It's Cool: With each photo you snap and post, Johnson & Johnson donates $1 to a cause you want to help, such as getting kids vaccines, fresh water, or school books. Cost: Free. Available on iOS and Android.
I Can Go Without What It Is: Think you can go without that latte today? Great! Just let your "Personal Concierge" know, and he’ll let you know which charity to spend the money on instead, then set up the transaction in seconds. Why It's Cool: Micro-giving is a new movement, which, in this app’s case, becomes something bigger than itself. Donations get pooled and amplified across social networks for greater effect. Cost: Free. Available on iOS.
One Today What It Is: This charity app features one new charity each day to which users can donate one dollar. Why It's Cool: It’s a small act (and a small amount of money) that can add up to big change. Users can track the difference they’ve made one dollar and one day at a time, and get friends to match their donations by sharing their philanthropy across social media accounts. Cost: Free. Available on iOS and Android.
You can resize tiles, too, much the way that you would in Windows Phone, by pressing and holding the tile and selecting the larger or smaller of two sizes. You're also able to add widgets to your home screen, and create folders that looks just like tiles, a trick that Nokia pushed out in its "Black" update.
